Jack Hobbs

During a remarkably long career that began in the age of W.G.Grace and ended in the era of Don Bradman, Hobbs scored more first-class runs and centuries than any other player. His elegant style and prodigious feats changed the art of batting. His innate dignity and modesty transformed the standing of professionals. Surprisingly, there has never before been a comprehensive biography of Hobbs. Now, acclaimed historian Leo McKinstry tells Hobbs story in full. It is a moving tale, full of drama and incident, charting his rise from a poverty-stricken background in Victorian Cambridge to become England s best-loved sportsman and the first professional cricketer to be knighted. Using wide ranging research, including Hobbs own correspondence and interviews, McKinstry examines every aspect of his life, from shy, gentle personality to his record in the First World War, from the brilliance of his batting technique to his involvement in some of cricket s greatest controversies, such as the notorious Bodyline tour of 1932 33. With its wealth of original material, this in-depth biography is an important addition to cricket literature.